four months!

Is it really time to do this again?

You're napping in my arms as I type this post (& my back is hurting), but I am cherishing this moment because soon enough, you won't want to sleep in my arms anymore. So I'm soaking it all in. Aiden is sleeping too, right beside us. He always naps on Fridays after school, LOL.

At four months ...

-You're wearing size 2 diapers (pampers swaddlers are still our fav)
-You're definitely busting out of your 0-3 month sleepers and moving onto 3-6 & we're still using sleep sacks
-We're getting closer to sleeping "through" the night, waking up on good nights at 4am for a nursing session
-We're still exclusively breastfeeding! (Yay!), no bottles just yet
-You are a rolling queen, I wouldn't be surprised if you started to crawl soon
-Your ambition is refreshing - always trying to reach for your toys while on your belly & of course, they go straight to your mouth
-We're catching snippets of your laugh & it's so contagious
-You love being upright & "standing", looks like our next purchase is some sort of exesaucer for you
-I feel like you know us now, well, I know you know me (since I'm the milk machine), but your face lights up in the mornings with Daddy & when A gets home from school
-You got your ears pierced!
-& we're still waiting for hair, lol.

Here's what else we've been up to:

Sleeping
We're getting there. Our bedtime routine (which consists of a shower for A, getting you & A into pjs, complete with a baby massage for you, & som quiet time and a bedtime story with A). Our last feed is still around 7:30pm. Typically, nursing is the last thing you do before bed. Between breasts, I slip you into your sleep sack & post-nursing I quietly take you from our room to your room and lay you ever so gently into your crib. You wake up anywhere from 2:00am-4:00am for a feeding. I'd like to say that you sleep right after your nursing, but this has been a hit or miss as of late. I can recall a few early mornings where we were up every hour. We even tried having you sleep with us in our bed, but even that didn't work. I think you prefer being in your crib (which is in your own room) or play pen (which is in our room) because you're able to move around more, find your "sweet spot" and self-soothe. Of course, this doesn't always work. I often nurse you laying down, then we both fall asleep. I've been reading up on 4 month old sleep regression ... and yikes! With daylight savings tomorrow, God knows how your sleeping will be.
Naps are becoming a hit or miss these days too. You were napping just dandy in your crib (a bit of fussiness for a few minutes), but then I'd find you self-soothing (thumb-sucking) and sleeping peacefully on your belly. Some days, you'd wake wake up after a 1/2 hour where you'd either fuss & then find your "sweet spot" again or Mama comes to the rescue (with a binky) & I hold you for the remainder of your nap. Lately, you've been fussing for longer than usual. I cave & scoop you up. You lay in my arms napping while I catch up on some tv. Which reminds me, who has the boxset of Grey's Season 4?

Breastfeeding
A few days ago I turned to Ryan and said something along the lines of ... I'm in awe that Sadie grows and thrives from milk (liquid gold) that my body produces. The entire process is simply amazing. Not much to much more to report, but I basically wear nursing pads religiously. Our nursing sessions last anywhere from 5-40 mins, usually depending on the time of day and where we are. Typically when we're up and about, you'll nurse much faster and make up for it in later feedings. Your last session of the day is usually the longest - I guess you try to "bulk up" for the night ahead. I still plan to breastfeed exclusively for as long as possible and maybe ... in the new year, we'll work on starting bottles. But it's been quite smooth, so in no rush for that.

Weight
Because the doctor was on vacation for the first 3 weeks on October, your 3 month check up was definitely overdue. We went on the 24th and you weighed a steady 12 pounds, 11 ounces. We scheduled to go back in a few weeks, hope we get more chubs!

Challenges
We're pretty much in the groove of things, but it's tough! Two kiddies means more laundry & a messier home ... but! there's doubles the smiles and double the love. I simply adore our A and Bean. There are definitely times when Aiden "needs" me at the exact moment that I'm tending to Sadie. A will pout about it & I remind him (& myself) that I'm only one person. That usually works.

We're up for a new challenge in the next week or so (will post more details soon). Wish us luck!

Me: Post-Partum

I feel good! I'm no where near my "ideal" weight (actually, I still don't know what my current weight is), but I feel pretty good! We're buying less junk when we're at the grocery store, which means less junk in our home (minus the crapload of halloween candy). I'm inspired by people I stumble upon in the blog world and by healthier recipe options via Pinterest. I haven't cut myself off from anything because I always feel that in moderation, it's ok. I did, however, buy a brand new pair of demin ... that made me feel good. The holidays will be challenging, lots of yummy food and lovely company ... definitely worth it! Oh and I finally got a haircut, that's like minus 10 pound right there, LOL. 

You'll be at a wonderful stage for your first Christmas Sadie, we can't wait!